Articles on the subject of martial arts, self defense, boxing, jiu jitsu, karate, nutrition and physical well being

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Understanding the "Punching Set Two"In Self Defense Training Series

What if you find yourself
confronted by a bully who just likes to fight? There is always more than one
way to get the job done! “Punching Set Two” expands your training at a more
advanced level teaching you the use of eight specific “Gung-Fu” traps and
twelve additional Kenpo Set Karate punching defenses. These moves are a great
supplement to any martial artist and especially enhance your timing and hand
speed. The traps are a great setup for complimenting your other techniques,
setup with a trap and follow-up with what you’ve already learned!

Ok so lets look at that concept. Using the moves from "Slapping the Spike" in this set (one hand parrying the wrist while the other hand parry's at the bicep at the same time thus a slapping action) followed immediately by the bent arm wristlock from the knife set you have now combined a "Gung-Fu" move with a standing jiu jitsu wrist lock. You are now working on a more advanced level combining moves from other techniques taught you by Coach Martin. Now take this idea and run with it, and oh yeah don't forget to study the variations of "Punching Set Two".

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Understanding the "Self Defense Set Two"In Self Defense Training Series

What if? You’ve learned some self defense but
your asking yourself the “What if” question. What do I do if my attacker
doesn’t do exactly what I thought they were going to? What if what I’m doing
isn’t working? Well - don’t let the what if get the best of you – learn variations to many of the attacks and
self defense techniques from self defense set one taught by Coach Marty
Martin. Plus learn the use of takedowns and how to work your opponent on the ground.
Learning these variations is a must for building your confidence!

The most important thing you need to know when moving to the advanced level of Kenpo Jiu Jitsu training is Coach Martin's advanced material instructs you on how to respond to variations of the skill set attacks you learned in the beginner and intermediate sets. Even in this set there may be several variations of a technique, what that really means is there are several variations of the attack. So given this information the single biggest training tool you can develop is to learn to respond to each variation of the attack.

Oh *#^* there are two of them!
Are they both going to grab and hit you? There’s someone in front of and behind
you at the same time, now what? Two assailants grab each of your wrists and try
to force you around – how do you get out of these situations? Let Coach Martin teach you how to apply the “small circle” of Jiu Jit Su if they do grab
you; learn how to turn one attacker against the other. Learn a simple way to
kick one attacker and punch the other at the same time. Learn to protect
yourself against more than one attacker - this is the “Two Attackers”.

The “Two Attackers Set” teaches you
how to line up your opponents to be more effective. The techniques in this set
are each unique in and of themselves. Many of the techniques use parts of other
Kenpo Set techniques teaching you how to adapt the knowledge you already have
to multiple attackers. Learn how to turn one attacker against the other. Learn
to apply the “small circle” of Jiu Jit Su as the primary release to setup your
Kenpo kicks and strikes to complete your techniques!!!

This set gives you specific attack scenarios such as one attacker grabs you from behind as another attacker in front of you punches at your face. Each technique guides you on what to do - however Coach Martin also encourages you to use techniques you already know to defend these same type situations. In doing so you will learn to respond spontaneously the real objective in moving toward advanced self defense practical application.

Monday, January 23, 2017

Would like to share this photo of Al from 1995, he came through South Carolina while on a series of seminars. Note Thomas Skaggs in middle he is Cinthia Rothrock nephew. Al promoted me and gave a great seminar on the history of Kenpo. We went to dinner at Applebees and Al had his first "Bourbon Street" steak. LOL

You are in a convenience store
and a knife wielding robber turns their attention toward you…they thrust a
knife directly at you…do you freeze or do you evade their knife thrust
and throw them onto their back with an outside wristlock throw? Learn how to
respond with “Knife Set One” which teaches you how to defend yourself against
stabs, the knife slash and back-slash, thrusts and the gutting attack, 20
different techniques in this set alone. A great starter set for defending
against a weapons attack!!! Learn step by step with Coach Marty Martin as
your personal instructor.

“Knife Set One” teaches you to use the “block and counter” principle to control and setup
your knife disarms. Learn how to “lock” the opponents arm to control the knife,
learn to use “joint lock manipulation takedowns and apply your opponents own
direction and weight against the attack. This set uses and teaches the Coach Martin's principles of Kenpo and Jiu Jit Su. A great starter set for defending against a
weapons attack!!!

"This probably my favorite set of karate material to teach. Once you learn these techniques I can show you how to adapt these same moves against other type weapons as well as hand-to-hand tactics". Coach Marty Martin

Understanding the "Punching Set One"When you join Marty Martin Karate online get access to over 700 videos:Here is just one of the "sets" of material you will have access to -

In Self Defense Training Series

You tried your best to talk your way out of a confrontation, suddenly here comes a punch – how will you respond? How many ways can someone throw a punch or punches at you? Let Profesor Martin teach you what to do. Learn how to defend against an assailant, who just swings wildly, throws a 1-2 punch or is more powerful than you are! “Punching Set One” demonstrates techniques which will provide you with an excellent beginning to defensive actions against just about any type punch an opponent can throw at you!!!

“Punching Set One” teaches you to defend against various punches and punching combinations. Learn to use angular footwork, combination kicks, spinning moves, left side combinations, both hard and soft style motion, defend against a more powerful opponent, different directional takedowns, and the use of a lethal “closing” move. Collectively, the techniques in this set will provide you with an excellent beginning to defensive actions against just about any punch an opponent can throw at you!!!

Learning Punching Set One in addition to the technique responses in the Key Set and you have a great understanding of how to defend an attack primarily based on strikes.

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Understanding the "Self Defense Set One"When you join Marty Martin Karate online get access to over 700 videos:Here is just one of the "sets" of material you will have access to -In Self Defense Training Series - Self Defense Set One

Someone grabs your shirt and gets
in your face, an attacker twists your arm behind your back, an assailant grabs
you by the throat – they are choking you…“Self
Defense Set One” teaches you how to protect yourself against these attacks plus
17 more!!! Don’t let yourself get
beat up – Learn how to defend yourself!!! Learn step by step what to do with
Coach Marty Martin as your personal instructor.

“Self Defense Set One” covers 20 basic “grab art”
defenses. Defend against; two hand grabs, single and two hand chokes, bear
hugs, headlock, a full nelson, a tackle, a two hand push, shoulder grabs from
the front, side and rear, three different wrist grabs, an arm lock, and even
the handshake. Learn to use a “block” as a “clearing” move or “striking” action in the
“opening” moves of your techniques. The “body” of each technique demonstrates
how to use the counter striking actions of Kenpo Set Karate.When Coach Martin first developed self defense set one he took the most common ways an assailant might "grab" you when they attack. This became the foundation of this set. All though there are some variations in this series the base moves in these techniques are the moves that establish the basis of the grab-arts "skill set" beginner level material. Just learning these moves with the moves you learning in the key set and you are well on your way to being able to defend yourself.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Understanding the "Key Set"When you join Marty Martin Karate online get access to over 700 videos:Here is just one of the "sets" of material you will have access to -In Self Defense
Training Series - Key Set

You’ve decided you need to defend
yourself, you want to learn to defend yourself, but don’t know where to start…the
answer is right here… The “Key Set”. Coach Martin has put together specific blocks, strikes and kicks in combinations that will become the "Key" movements of your self defense techniques as you progress in your training. You will see these same movements and combinations used as parts of other techniques in other techniques and as a result these become the "Key" moves of those techniques, hence the name "Key Set".Furthering this unique method of teaching, the "Key Set" explores a variety of responses to straight line attacks. Exploring this variety of responses demonstrates the principle of diversity - that is there is more than one way to defend an attack, you will be free to chose those "Key" moves that work best for you as you progress in experience. It's important to note if you haven't finished Building Block Set One and Coach Martin's Introduction Manual you probably should review those first so as you begin to learn the techniques of the Key Set you will have a clear understanding of the basic moves of Karate. These basic's are the foundation of your skills in karate - the better your basic's the stronger your martial arts skill.

So when someone comes to me and wants to learn to protect themselves or a parent says their child is being bullied, I feel the need to give them a way to quickly defend against a basic attack, a quick way to build their confidence, a way to generate excitement and determination to want to learn more. My answer - beginner boxing!

As much as I believe in karate it takes time to learn how to do the basics and do them effectively. Conversely I love to integrate the concept of just getting your hands up and moving your forearms around to protect your face. As much as I love the reverse punch of karate it is faster and more effective to teach anyone how to jab and throw a right cross.

I teach students to execute basic boxing moves from the fighting stance and execute karate skills from the fighting horse. Its my method of integrating boxing skills into the beginner karate development.

As such boxing skills are critical to the overall fight scenario. As
part of my “Fight Skills” package boxing skills fill the void most
martial artist styles have between when the fight starts and the committed
attack happens. As with the majority of the Kenpo self-defense techniques which respond to a committed attack there are many actions that can take place from the time an attack changes from the verbal zone and closes the distance to be able to strike your opponent. Boxing, the movement, distance control and position
offer the safest place to remain in control until the committed attacks takes
place –then you adjust and integrate your response with your Kenpo Jiu Jitsu technique. This is the essence of my "Fight Skills"package.

As a positive by-product the conditioning drills typically associated with boxing skills add another dimension to training for any martial artist. The footwork and the cardio develop speed and agility both critical components of fighting skills conditioning and development.

Boxing is just one of the components in my fight skills package, if you would like to know more go to http://martymartinkarate.com and read "Understanding Marty Martin Karate" and "Marty Martin Fight Skills".

Boxing skills are critical to the overall fight scenario. As
part of the my “Fight Skills” package boxing skills are one of the tools which fill
the void most martial artist styles have between when the fight starts and the
committed attack happens. Boxing, the movement, distance control and position
offer the safest place to remain in control until the committed attacks takes
place –then you respond further with your Kenpo Jiu Jitsu technique be it standing,
takedown or action on the ground.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Fear and Mental Toughness

The U.S. Navy SEALs are among the most courageous men on earth. Their secret: mental conditioning. Learn their secrets and you, too, can conquer any fear says an article in Men’s Health magazine.

According to the article, the SEALs are fearless because of the training they undergo. Their secret is what psychologist call habituation. This simply means the more you’re exposed to something that you initially fear, they less it will fear you and eventually you become immune to it. You get used to it.

This is mind over matter situation. Sergeant Bill Cullen of the First Battalion of the Fourth Marines says, “Essentially, you’re bending the body’s software to control its hardware. It works standing over a putt on the 18th green. It works shooting a final-second free throw. It works banging down a door with a bad guy on the other side.”

Graduating as a SEAL is not all about being physically fit, Lieutenant Commander Mike H of executive officer of SEAL Team 10, says, “Today, our primary weapons systems are our people’s heads. You want to excel in all the physical areas, but the physical is just a prerequisite to be a SEAL. Mental weakness is what actually screens you out.”

The articles reports that recent experiments at tops institutions in the world including Harvard, Columbia, the University of California at Irvine, have started to solve the mystery of both primal fear and remembered fear. Previously it was thought that once an animal has “learned” to be afraid of something, that memory never vanishes from the animal’s amygdala. But Gregory Quirk, Ph.D., and researcher Kevin Corcoran, of the University of Puerto Rico school of medicine, have discovered that we can overlay our bad memories — and the emotions they evoke — by forming new memories in the brain’s prefrontal cortex that supersede those stored in the amygdala.

You have to repeat an action, any action, over and over, with the knowledge that you are “unlearning” the bad memory. Lieutenant Commander Eric Potterat, Ph.D., a Naval Special Warfare Command psychologist, quotes Hamlet on the subject: “‘There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.’

Eric Potterat relates this study to sports and described the difference between winners and losers. “Physically, there’s very little difference between athletes who win Olympic gold and the rest of the field. It’s like the SEAL candidates we see here. Terrific hardware. Situps, pushups, running, swimming — off the charts, superhuman. But over at the Olympic center, the sports psychologists found that the difference between a medal and no medal is determined by an athlete’s mental ability. The elite athletes, the Tiger Woodses, the Kobe Bryants, the Michael Jordans — this is what separates them from the competition. Knowing how to use information.”

“Being a warrior, being what you call ‘brave,’ requires attention to something greater than just martial activity,” says Master Chief Will Guild, a 27-year SEAL veteran who runs a mentorship program for incoming candidates. “These men are problem solvers, and there are many ways to solve problems. I think you have to be ready to do whatever it takes, and that includes using diplomacy.

“There’s no shortage of physical courage in the SEALs or Marine Corps or any active military branch of the service. Moral courage is something else. And if you want to inspire moral courage in your troops, you have to teach them how to make decisions.” he continues.

Human beings can adapt to the very harshest of environments. Viktor Frankl, the famous Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, who is also a Holocaust survivor said, “if someone now asked of us the truth of Dostoevski’s statement that flatly defines man as a being who can get used to anything, we would reply, yes, a man can get used to anything, but do not ask us how”

Psychologists and neuroscientists now agree conquering fear is simply suppressing a fright reaction by repeatedly confronting, the fear-triggering memory or stimulus – facing your fears. For specific phobias, up to 90 percent of people can be cured through such exposure therapy, says David Barlow, director of Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders.

So the secret to courage is putting yourself in the same difficult situation or hostile environment on a consistent basis, day in day out, or doing a seemingly difficult action over and over, a million times, until you not longer have any emotional attachment to that situation, environment, or action. You become immune to it. You become part of it.

Thursday, January 5, 2017

I love this article, it fits the mindset one should get from your instructor in whatever martial art you take the big four: goal setting, mental rehearsal, self talk, arousal control

The Big 4 – Navy SEAL’s Technique to Conquering Fear and Panic

Written by Chris on December 06, 2013 19 Comments

The Big 4 - Navy Seal's Technique to Conquering Fear and Panic

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear.”

Mark Twain

In stressful situations when our life is at threat we have a very powerful mechanism of protection. It is an automated system within our brain that acts even before we are able to take conscious actions.

This system has protected us during the millions of years of evolution from predators and imminent danger. Even though it is very sophisticated, it can have flaws.

Say hello to the Amygdala!

The Amygdala

The amygdala is well hidden in the depths of the human brain and it has developed prior to our neocortex (the thinking brain). It is part of the limbic system and its purpose is to regulate emotional reactions such as fear and aggression.

Since the limbic system and the amygdala are older than the neocortex (in terms of evolution), it has priority (in response) whenever dealing with very dangerous situations. A tragic example that shows how we can act prior to being conscious is the story of Matilda Crabtree.

Back in 1994, Matilda was a 14 year old girl who wanted to make a prank to her parents. As Bobby Crabtree and his wife returned home late at night, they thought Matilda was at one of her friends’ house. However, as they entered home, Bobby heard some noise coming from upstairs. Matilda hid in the closet wanting to scare her parents. As Bobby got upstairs he took his gun and went to Matilda’s bedroom. When she jumped out of the closet, Bobby pulled the trigger. Matilda died 12 hours later.

Bobby’s fear kicked in and his body took action way before he could be conscious of what he was doing. We are talking about milliseconds here, the bits of time that can really make a difference. Bobby Crabtree was not prosecuted because what happened was an accident. However, you can imag1ine the pain this father had to live with throughout his life.

The Mechanism of Fear

When in panic or fearful situations, there are two parts of the human brain that fight for control:

1. The frontal lobes (part of the neocortex) – that are responsible with conscious and rational decision making processes.

2. The amygdala – which is twice as faster in response than the frontal lobes and this sometimes can be misleading. The purpose of the amygdala is to protect, no matter what.

There are some fears that are pre-programmed in the human brain. This means that we are born with them. Chocking, drowning, the fear of heights, and even the fear of public speaking are examples of such.

Whenever in peril, the amygdala kicks in as the first commander; it sends signals to the hippocampus (another part of the limbic system) which in turn releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline; they prepare our body for the fight or flight response.

Thus, all the energy available is hijacked and directed to the feet for running or to the hands for fighting the imminent danger.

The Big Four

Navy SEALs are often confronted with such life threatening situations and to succeed they have to effectively conquer their fears. It has been shown that humans can minimize the time before the fear stimulus reaches the frontal cortex so that the decision is more conscious. It basically means that the response from the frontal cortex should be as close as possible to the response from the amygdala.

Members of the Navy SEAL (N.S.) are trained to increase their mental toughness with the ultimate purpose of controlling their fears and being able to appropriately respond in panicking situations. The technique is called The Big Four and (as you guessed) it has 4 parts:

1. Goal Setting (G)

When you are in a stressful situation your amygdala is firing like crazy. Emotions, fear, stress, you name it; it’s a total chaos. The frontal lobes can bring structure to this inferno through goal setting.

They can keep the amygdala at ease.

N.S. members often think about their friends, family, religious beliefs, and other important things from their lives.

The key point is to see something positive in the future (in the near future, if possible). That serves as an anchor to your inner balance.

2. Mental Rehearsal (M)

Mental Rehearsal is also known as visualization and it refers to continuously running an activity in your mind. When the real situation occurs, you are better prepared to fight it.

Take for example Michael Phelps.

Few people know that his training is insane. I have learned from Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit that throughout his years of training, Michael Phelps followed the same routine over and over again, with the preciseness of an atom clock.

From getting closer to the Olympic pool, to fixing his goggles, to stepping onto the diving board, then the jump, the first contact with water, each hand movement, and so on. All of these coordinated so accurately that he knew them by heart. They were part of him. Phelps’ coach used to name this routine as “the track”.

Now, in this track, Michael basically confronted all the scenarios that can possibly occur.

August 13, 2008

It was the day of the finals for the 200m butterfly swim in The Beijing Olympic Games.

Phelps was prepared. When his coach saw him enter the arena, he shouted at him to plug-in the “track”. Michael was already plugged-in.

He was a winner even before getting into the pool. Everything was taking place the way he knew it by heart: the diving board, the water, hand movements, wait…

Something was wrong. Water started to enter into his goggles. He could not see….

When I first heard the story I thought that it had a sad ending. However, instead of panicking, Phelps was trained for this.

He already had a scenario when this would happen. Sight would not be a problem for him because he knows by heart how many hand movements he needs to make until reaching the final wall. He played “the track”… and amazingly he won the gold medal, finishing 0.66 seconds faster than Laszlo Cseh, the second place.

This is the power of mental rehearsal.

Confront the bad situation in your mind over and over again and it would come naturally when you face it for real. This is what many public speakers do.

Psychologists treat phobic patients by exposure to the stimuli causing the phobia.

3. Self Talk

We know from research (here or here) that the average person speaks to him self more than 400 words per minute.

Logic guides me to say that it would pay much of a difference if these words are predominantly positive. These guys say that positive self-talk can override the signals from the amygdala.

I’ve personally learned about positive self-talk from Brian Tracy’s book The Power of Self-Confidence.

4. Arousal control

This is more of a physical exercise. It focuses on breathing and it requires to deliberately breathe slower as it would help counteract some of the effects of panic.

Long exhales mimic the process of relaxation within the body.

Long inhales provide much more oxygen to the brain which results in better cognition processes.

Each of these techniques may not work when used individually due to the powerful signaling coming from the amygdala, but they can definitely kick-ass when they are used together.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

So you wanna be a true warrior.Then define what it means to you, work hard and discover how to push through your limits. Coach Marty Martin

Your personality is a reflection of your personality based on your behavior over your lifetime. It is the behavior of the true warrior which makes that individual uncommon. A warrior holds themselves to a higher standard than others do. The warrior
respects their reputation, morals and abilities. Any
individual can be trained to fight, but it takes much more than a set of physical
skills to be a true man of honor; it takes a strong positive reputable sense of behavior.

While it is true that a warrior trains their spirit, mind and body to be victorious when circumstances
demand extraordinary action, it is also true a warrior must understand empathy and serve with compassion. Over a lifetime, a warrior will have many
more opportunities to test their behavior in training or everyday circumstances than in life and death combat. A warrior’s physical training and
foundation of behavior are integral parts of the warrior
lifestyle, as much of the individuals character are forged in the crucible of hard training. Only the individual who pushes themselves to the brink of failure in training time and again will truly understand the depth of this statement. The point in time when an individual crosses over from common man to warrior is when the individual decides that the life of service driven by the dedication to honor, integrity, respect of self and never quit attitude becomes the foundation of his existence.

To become that individual, to become that warrior you as an individual have to decide what you will and won't stand for.
Don’t leave your behavior and your reputation to chance – take responsibility
for your behavior as that behavior determines the force inside you. It is your responsibility to forge your ideals. No one else will do it
for you, but there are many who by their poor behavior, lack of discipline, lack of respect, lack of honor can lead you let your ideals slip or degrade the dedication to your why. You have to stand up for what you believe in and be ready to stand alone. You
have to know your why, you have to understand your behavior is a display of your honor and integrity and this makes you who you are. To remain strong, to be that warrior you have to have the dedication and the determination to not let anything take away from all you have worked so hard for. When you work hard for anything you will respect what you have more than something just given to you. Here is a mantra that helps bring this into perspective; "I will do today what others won't so tomorrow I can do what others can't", US NAVY SEALS

Behavior is the foundation of all the other parts in a warriors lifestyle, the collective of an individuals behaviors. If the foundation of your behavior isn’t positive, rooted in high standards and strong sense of high moral and ethical code then sooner or later you will no longer be a true warrior you will falter. Without that solid foundation, it is easy
for you to lose focus of your values. For this reason, it is vital that your
behavior adheres to the highest standards. Don’t compromise where your
behavior is concerned. This is just one of the traits that sets the warrior
apart as an uncommon man. Work to build a solid character and maintain a solid reputation,
which is true to your why as an uncommon individual.

Living up to the standards you have set for yourself is a continuous process
and there will always be temptations to lower your standards or temporarily set
them aside. Find the intestinal fortitude to maintain your
standards no matter what others around you do or say. Your behavior has to be
able to withstand the ridicule of others opinions, the actions of others, or even your
own personal weaknesses. Don’t let others influence your decisions, at least not in a
negative way. Don’t compromise your principles to please someone else or to
avoid displeasing those around you. Live according to your why –
the nature of the uncommon man – the warrior.

When
someone treats you with disrespect or is just plain rude, it can be tempting to
respond in kind, but this is not the behavior of the true warrior. A warrior cannot allow others to dictate
his choice of action. Don't let the behavior of someone else change your why, at least not in a negative way, the positive actions of other warriors can be a reflection of your conviction.

How you respond to the events in your life, both
the good ones and the challenges, reveal your true sense of character. The true measure of a man is how that man responds to the challenges of life.

If you want to
truly know how well you have developed your character, pay attention to how you
respond to both the challenges and the triumphs of your life. This not only
applies to those times when you are with other people, but also for the quiet
times when you are alone. The truest test of behavior is what you do when you
are alone. Do you still live up to your standards when nobody is watching? Do
you live up to your reputation when you are at home with your family or only
when you are in public? Your behavior should be sincere and genuine. You
should not act one way in public and another way in private.

Your character is
revealed through your words and your actions that is your behavior. You must be consistent and
sincere in order to be an uncommon man – a warrior. Strive to make sure that
your words and your actions are in line with your why. This is the nature of the uncommon man – the nature of the warrior.

You have to remain conscious of your every thought and your every
word. Many people basically live their lives going through life without any
true direction, responding in whatever manner their emotions dictate to them in
any given moment. The warrior can’t afford to live his life in this way; he has
to be ever vigilant of his thoughts, words and actions for they dictate his behavior. He must maintain his strength
of character in all of the situations of life. No matter what circumstances he
finds himself in, the man of character will behavior appropriately, maintaining his principles,
which he has firmly decided to incorporate into his life. These incorporate
daily habits, daily rituals and strong spiritual conscience. This takes
practice and determination. Hemingway called this “Grace under pressure.”

Thomas Paine stated, “Reputation is what men and women think of us; character
is what God and angels know of us.”

While your reputation is important, at
least to a degree, it is your authentic character that truly matters. Each of
your personal behaviors collectively all those you act you act upon are the foundation of your true character. This foundation is your sincere desire to be a man
ofcharacter – a true warrior and to live
according to those principles, which make someone an uncommon man –
a warrior. Understanding the importance of your personal behavior and how that shapes who you truly are is the guide to living the life of a true warrior.